Ultimate Fish Pie Food

EASY FISH PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Cut a small slit in each potato and place onto a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, about 1 hour 10 minutes.
• While the potatoes are baking, melt 4 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat; stir in onion. Cook and stir until onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Mix in Cheddar cheese, cream, mustard, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until sauce is warm and Cheddar has melted, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Place white fish and shrimp in a 3 1/2-quart oven-proof baking dish. Pour cheese sauce over the fish; stir until well combined.
• Scoop the flesh out of the baked potatoes and place in a large bowl; discard the skins. Add 4 tablespoons butter and season with salt and pepper. Mash with a fork until butter has melted and potatoes are smooth. Spread the mashed potatoes evenly over the top of the fish.
• Bake until sauce is bubbling and potato topping is golden brown, about 55 minutes.

LUXE FISH PIE

Steps:

• Place the fish fillets in a large, wide saucepan and pour over the milk. Add the onion wedges and bay leaves, tucking them in around the fish. Bring to a very gentle simmer, then cover with a lid and remove from the heat immediately. Leave to stand and infuse for 10 mins or until the fish is just cooked. Drain the fish in a colander over a large jug to reserve the infused milk, then tip the fish into a bowl. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, make the topping. Put the potatoes in a large saucepan of cold water, bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 mins or until the potatoes are soft but not falling apart. Drain well, return to the pan and mash with the butter, half the cheese and the crème fraîche until smooth. Season to taste and set aside.
• To finish the filling, melt the butter in a medium saucepan and stir in the flour. Cook for a few secs, then gradually add the infused milk, stirring over a medium heat for 3 mins until the sauce is smooth and thick. Stir in the spinach and wine or vermouth, if using, and cook for 2 mins more. Remove from the heat and stir in the dill. Season to taste.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Spoon a third of the sauce into the base of a 3-litre shallow rectangular dish. Scatter half the fish fillets over the sauce, breaking them into chunky pieces and discarding the skin, any stray bones, onion and bay leaves as you go. Pour over another third of the sauce, then top with more fish. Continue the layers once more, finishing with sauce.
• Spoon the potato over the fish mixture, starting at the edges. Swirl the potato with the back of a spoon and sprinkle over the remaining cheese. Place the dish on a baking tray and bake in the centre of the oven for 45 mins or until the potato is golden and the filling is bubbling.

ULTIMATE FISH PIE

Steps:

• Preparation:
• 1 Knead flour: In a bowl combine flour, salt, sugar and baking powder. Gradually add water and knead to form a soft, smooth dough. The key to a soft dough is not folding over the flour too often (once all the water has been added, just press gently with the knuckles to smoothen, turn over, repeat). Cover with a kitchen towel and allow it to rest until ready for filling the dough.
• 2 Clean and rinse fish with cold water and the juice of a lemon; removing scales and other undesirables. If you are using whole fish, cut each fish into two pieces (optional) or make diagonal cuts on the sides. Drain.
• 3 Season fish with green seasoning(pre made) and salt. Marinate for a minimum of 1 hr or overnight covered in the refrigerator.
• 4 Fry Fish: When ready to cook, remove the seasoned fish from the refrigerator and bring to room temp. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium low heat. Dredge fish in flour and dust off excess. Place fish in hot oil and cook until golden brown on both sides. Filets take 3-4 mins per side on medium low heat.
• 5 Prep ingredients: While fish is frying, mince garlic, bandhania (if using), onion and hot pepper (if using) using a food processor or mortar and pestle or chop with a knife.
• 6 Assemble filling: Add the minced ingredients, salt and black pepper to the bowl with the fried fish. Mash with a fork, breaking up all chunks. (Time saving tip: Place fish in the food processor and pulse to combine and create small bits(not a paste).
• 7 Assemble Pies- Using your hand, squeeze off pieces of flour between thumb and forefinger to make 12 little balls. (I make three large loyahs(balls) and then divide each into 4). This way you don't have to reshape after separating the dough. Lightly flour surface. Using your fingers, flatten each ball into a 5-6 inch disc. Place a handful of fish mixture (about 3 heaping tablespoons) onto the center and bring the sides up over the filling to meet at the center. Pinch the edges together to seal all the way around, then twist all around to seal. Place dough upright and press gently to flatten while pulling apart at the ends to lengthen. Place flat on the counter and then press gently with the palm of your hand to flatten. Place the completed filled dough on a oiled surface and cover with towel until ready to fry. Quickly repeat steps with the remaining balls of dough.
• 8 To fry: Once all the dough are filled, heat about 3 cups of oil (use more if your pot is wider) in a wide dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot. Add a small pinch of dough. The oil is ready when it floats and darkens. Gently place filled dough into the hot oil, two or three at a time if the pot is large enough. Using a spoon, continuously pour hot oil over the dough. When the bottom is golden brown, flip and cook the other side until golden brown also. Drain on the side of the pot and place in a single layer, on a paper towel lined tray. Repeat the frying with the remaining filled dough. Serve hot with hot sauce, mango or tamarind chutney.

FISH PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6.
• Peel the potatoes and cut into 2cm chunks, then cook in boiling salted water for 12 minutes, or until tender.
• Peel the carrot. Stand a box grater in a deep baking tray or dish, then coarsely grate the carrot, along with the celery and Cheddar.
• Switch to the fine side of the grater, and grate in the lemon zest and chilli. Pick and finely chop the parsley (stalks and all), and add to the tray or dish.
• Slice the salmon and smoked haddock into bite-size chunks and add to the tray with the prawns.
• Squeeze over the lemon juice (no pips please!), drizzle lightly with olive oil and add a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper. If you want to add any spinach or tomatoes, roughly chop and add them now. Mix everything together really well.
• Drain the potatoes, and return them to the pan. Drizzle with a couple of good lugs of olive oil and add a pinch of salt and pepper, then mash until nice and smooth.
• Dot and spread the mash evenly over the top of the fish and grated veg.
• Bake in the oven for 40 minutes, or until cooked through, crispy and golden on top, then serve piping hot with tomato ketchup, baked beans, steamed veg or a lovely green salad.

THE ULTIMATE MAKEOVER: FISH PIE

Steps:

• Mix 3 tbsp of the milk into the cornflour and set aside. Pour the rest of the milk into a saucepan. Shell the prawns, reserve the meat, then drop the shells and heads (wash them first if necessary) into the milk along with the thyme sprigs, bay leaves, garlic and a grind of pepper. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 20 mins.
• Meanwhile, put the potatoes into a large pan of water, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 mins until tender. Drain. Steam the sliced leek for 3 mins, then remove from the heat and set aside.
• Strain the infused milk through a sieve into a large shallow sauté pan. Lay all the fish fillets (not the prawns) in the milk. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 3 mins. Remove from the heat and leave, covered, for 5 mins. Use a slotted spoon to transfer all the fish to a dish and leave to cool slightly. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Stir the slackened cornflour, then stir it into the hot milk in the sauté pan. Return the pan to the heat and stir until thickened. Briefly stir in the soft cheese, remove from the heat, then add the parsley and season with black pepper. Stir in any liquid that has drained from the fish. Break the fish into big pieces as you lay them in a 2-litre ovenproof dish so that the different varieties are evenly distributed. Scatter over the prawns and leek, then season with pepper. Pour the sauce over and give a few gentle stirs to evenly distribute the sauce and combine everything without breaking up the fish.
• Using a large fork, crush the potatoes by breaking them up (not mashing them) into chunky pieces. Mix in the oil, chives and a grind of black pepper. Spoon the potato crush over the fish. Sit the dish on a baking sheet and bake for 25-30 mins, or until the sauce is bubbling and the potatoes golden. Alternatively, make the dish completely, refrigerate it for several hrs or overnight, then bake at the same temperature as above for 45 mins.